FPL and FIU unveil solar research facility

Courtesy Florida Power and Light

At a new solar research center unveiled by Florida Power & Light and Florida International University, students will look for best ways to generate solar power during South Florida's summer storm season

At a new solar research center unveiled by Florida Power & Light and Florida International University, students will look for best ways to generate solar power during South Florida's summer storm season

What are the most reliable ways to generate solar power in a "sunshine state" that sees its rays so regularly blocked by heavy, dark tropical storm fronts?

That's one of the questions to be explored at a new research facility dedicated Wednesday by Florida Power & Light and Florida International University's College of Engineering and Computing in Miami.

FPL says the commercial-scale solar installation is the only facility of its kind installed at a Florida university. The 1.4-megawatt array is assembled from more than 4,400 solar panels. In addition to providing energy and displaying a 24-foot by 12-foot FIU logo, the installation shades about 400 spaces at the university's parking lot.

Under a five-year research grant, students and faculty at the Energy, Power & Sustainability program will analyze data from the solar panels to understand how South Florida's tropical climate affects solar energy production, according to an FPL news release. They will also study historic weather patterns to develop predictive solar production models, FPL said.

The project continues a three-decade-long partnership between FPL and FIU. The university's College of Engineering and Computing is the 19th largest engineering program in the country.

Florida Power & Light officially commissioned its new Port Everglades Next Generation Clean Energy Center in a ceremony on Monday. The $1.2 billion plant, fueled by natural gas, replaces a 1960s-era oil-fueled plant demolished in 2013.

Florida Power & Light officially commissioned its new Port Everglades Next Generation Clean Energy Center in a ceremony on Monday. The $1.2 billion plant, fueled by natural gas, replaces a 1960s-era oil-fueled plant demolished in 2013.